Natural Remedy

Several weeks ago, I wrote a post about Grace’s eczema.  In desperation, after lots of doctor’s appointments and prescription medications, I went on the internet and researched some natural treatments.

I bought Vitamin E oil and coconut oil, and I have been faithfully applying them to her skin at least once per day.  We’re still working on a couple of small spots behind her knees, but what amazing improvement!  Her skin is smooth and supple, not like sandpaper any more.  Much better than with any of those prescription creams.  And a WHOLE lot cheaper. 

I’m not sure why doctors are hesitant to discuss possible natural remedies with patients.  As much as I love Grace’s pediatrician, she never once suggested alternative treatments, even after repeated failures with each new prescription.  I made a decision a few weeks ago to suspend the oral allergy medication as well as the topical creams.  I’ve seen no adverse effects, and she’s only gotten better. 

It makes me want to do more research about natural remedies!

For more Works-For-Me tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Preschooler Quote of the Day

I’ll give you a little background info first.  Lately I’ve been working with Grace on not interrupting.  She’s gotten better, especially about waiting patiently until I get off the phone.

This morning she was pretending to talk on her play-phone to Mimi.   While she was talking, I was changing the sheets on her bed.  After a long conversation, she “hung up” the phone and said to me,

“Mommy, thank you for being quiet and patient while I was on the phone.  You’re a sweet mommy.”

Don’t Make Me Count To Three – Ch. 4

Welcome to the fourth week of our book study through Ginger Plowman’s Don’t Make Me Count To Three!  This was the last chapter in Part I of our book.  If you didn’t read, no worries!  Just join along with us anytime.  It’s quick and easy to get caught up.

For me, this was one of the most eye-opening chapters of the book.  All too often I find myself correcting and/or punishing Grace’s sinful behavior, having her ask forgiveness, and moving on.  This leaves out a vital step…training in righteousness.  I should always model for her what a biblical response should have been and make her practice that response.

My favorite quote from this chapter is on pg. 48:

“As a rule, anytime you correct your child for wrong behavior, have him walk through the right behavior.  This is how we train our children to walk in the righteousness of Christ.”

This takes a lot of time.  However, Lord willing, we will hopefully see lasting improvement over time as our kids learn to think like Christ.

I loved the section about being a “tattletale.”  In a wise and practical application of Matthew 18, Ginger suggests ways to handle conflict between children.  Grace is an only child, so I don’t deal with this problem as much as other parents might.  However, I’ll admit that Grace is quick to run to me when problems arise with other children on play dates, when I babysit, etc.  Biblical conflict resolution is such an important skill to teach our kids…they will use it their whole lives.  This is something I’m focusing on right now with our daughter.  Instead of having the victim mentality, we want her to be confident enough to try to resolve the problem on her own first.  God’s plan is so wise.

The role-playing section was a good example of HOW we train our children in righteousness.  Let’s face it…kids tune out their parents’ voices, and words are often forgotten.  They are much more likely to remember what to do if they practice it frequently.  With Grace, I have even role-played different conflict scenarios when we are playing with dolls or stuffed animals.  I think she internalizes it more when she’s not in an emotional state!

I hope that many of you will join in and comment on what particularly struck you in this week’s reading.  Even if you didn’t read, feel free to comment below on the topics raised.  Perhaps consider one or more of the following questions:

Why is it important to show our kids how they should have responded instead of sinning?  How do you handle conflict resolution between siblings and/or peers?  Do you use role-playing and does it seem to help?

I look forward to reading your comments!  This week we begin Part II of Ginger’s book, which will help us focus on what biblical reproof looks like.  Stay tuned for a post next Monday on chapter five.

Monday Milestones

Instead of posting my normal Menu Plan Monday, I’m going to do things differently for a while.  Because of my new eating plan, meals are looking a lot different around here lately.  Nobody’s complaining, though.  Todd is thrilled to get more slabs of meat and less casseroles.  Grace never complains and usually eats whatever I give her.  And I’m enjoying my pre-packaged entrees and shakes.

When I wake up in the morning, I fix Grace a bowl of cereal with fruit and I drink a Double Chocolate Mocha shake.  Todd gets up super-early and cooks himself some bacon.  (Because everyone knows that bacon + Mountain Dew = the breakfast of champions!).

Around 10:00 I eat a piece of fruit or a diet bar.  At noon, I fix Grace’s lunch…it’s different every day.  Her favorites are deli meat, peanut butter, carrot sticks, and fruit.  I fix myself a program entree and eat a piece of fruit.  When Grace gets up from her nap, we eat a small snack.  I fix a Vanilla Malt shake and Grace gets some crackers and juice. 

Around 5:00, I start cooking dinner.  For Grace and Todd, I prepare a cut of meat (beef, chicken, pork chop, etc.).  I also prepare two different fresh vegetables and stick some rolls in the oven.  When we eat supper together, Todd and Grace eat the meat/veggies/rolls, and I eat another program entree along with the veggies.

After Grace goes to bed, I fix myself a fruit smoothie.  My favorite lately is a mango, papaya, and strawberry mixture.  One thing I love about this eating plan is that I eat several small meals throughout the day, so I don’t go long periods of time being hungry.  And, I’m still able to get creative with my shakes/smoothies and veggie preparation. 

This week I also exercised four days.  So, for my milestone this Monday, I lost 2.5 pounds….bringing my total to 6 pounds in two weeks.  I’m satisfied with that.

View From The Top

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy singing in my church choir.  In our church, the choir sits in a loft above and behind the pastor.  From our perch, we can see the whole congregation – both below on the floor and above in the balcony.  While I sometimes find myself playing “Where’s Waldo?” with various friends in the congregation, I can usually keep my attention focused on the pastor.

Today was a different story. 

Up in the balcony was a man that we couldn’t help but notice.  During the time of worship with songs, he was throwing his arms about and making extreme movements with his body.  It was quite mesmerizing to watch, and I found myself losing my place in the music a few times as I kept my eye up to see what he would do next. 

Once the music was over and the preaching began, he got up and walked out.  A deacon casually stood up and followed him outside.  In a few minutes, the deacon came back in and my mind went back to the sermon (which was actually quite good today).  Then, right as our pastor was wrapping up his sermon, the man strolled back into the sanctuary and took his same seat in the balcony.  This time, however, he was carrying a jacket and hiding something inside.

I started to get a little nervous, wondering what he was hiding.  He slithered one arm out of his jacket while holding firmly to an object hidden on the other side.  Then he switched hands and slid out of the other arm.  Then he took the jacket and wrapped it around his object.  The ladies seated around me in the choir loft started whispering and expressing concern. 

Finally, my friend who was sitting behind me decided to slip out and find her husband, who is one of the associate pastors.  Soon, the man picked the object up, still wrapped in his jacket…and…took a drink.  That’s right.  He took a drink.  It was obviously liquor of some sort.  I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that it wasn’t a gun, my mind thinking of all the terrible things that could have happened.  About that time, our security officer made an appearance at the balcony exit and another staff member stood guard at the opposite end. 

After the final prayer, the man exited by the security officer, and I’m not privy to what happened next.  I did hear rumors, however, that he was drinking Jack Daniel’s out of a Sprite bottle.  Apparently, instead of being moved by the Spirit, he was moved by “spirits.” (i.e. whiskey)

Who ever said church was boring?

I Heart Target

This morning Grace and Todd had a daddy/daughter morning while I ran a couple of errands.  (Translation:  Todd entertained and gave LOTS of candy to Grace). 

Anyway, I treated myself to a tall Pike’s Peak blend with 2 pumps of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup from Starbucks.  Then I got my blood drawn for some routine lab work.  After that I went to grab a few groceries at my local Super Target. 

I have always loved Target, and I loved it even more today.  The store is always ultra-neat and clean.  I just don’t go there as often because Wal-Mart is cheaper on most items, and I’m always trying to find the best deals. 

But, I had already splurged on Starbucks, so I decided to go whole-hog and buy a few necessities at Target.  Since my grocery lists these days consist mostly of fresh fruits, veggies, and meats, I headed to the produce department. 

Several of their organic veggies were on sale for cheaper than their regular counterparts.  Score!  I also found a new product that I’ve never seen before:  mini sweet peppers.  It was a 1-lb. package of miniature red, yellow, and orange bell peppers.  So cute!  And it was on sale for only $1.99. 

Then I headed over to the meat department.  I happened to arrive at the exact time that the butcher was placing discounted stickers on all the meats that had to be sold by today for freshness purposes.  What a gold mine.  I got pork chops, chicken breasts, and ground beef for up to 75% off the packaged price, simply because I was buying on the date the freshness seal expired.  I even found a BEAUTIFUL London Broil cut (1.5 lbs.) for only $2.42.  I can’t eat it, but Todd will love a good steak!  Whatever I don’t cook today in advance for Todd’s suppers this week, I will stick in the freezer for later.

I did pay a few cents extra on things like frozen concentrate juice, Goldfish crackers, and canned veggies.  However, because of the great produce deals, I know I came out better than if I had gone to Wal-Mart.  And, I had a MUCH better shopping experience than normal.

The View

I am not a regular watcher of The View.  Actually, I’ve only seen it a few times.  However, I HAD to write a post today about an outrageous clip from a recent episode.

The Setting:  They show a video clip of Ashley Judd condemning Sarah Palin for supporting the shooting of wolves in Alaska.  The purpose of aerial shooting of wolves in the winter is to help protect the caribou population, which is put at risk by the overpopulation of wolves.  The video is somewhat disturbing, because who enjoys watching animals get killed?  Since it is tragic and not pleasant to view, the liberal ladies are just dying to know how Elisabeth Hasselbeck (the vivacious conservative) will react to this video.  How can Elisabeth possibly defend this practice of murdering wolves? 

Elisabeth, my hero, in a BRILLIANT analogy points out that it is amazing that celebrities like Ashley Judd make such a huge public outcry against practices that involve cruelty to animals, but are perfectly content to allow hundreds of thousands of babies to be murdered through the violent and inhumane act of abortion.  Of course, Elisabeth is attacked viciously by Whoopi and Joy for being off-topic and taking a ridiculous leap of logic.

What, may I ask, is so ridiculous about Elisabeth’s logic?  It’s perfectly sensible to me.  Aren’t human lives more valuable than animal lives….even to “lefties”?  With all the “freedom of choice” that the left loves to talk about, isn’t it just a bit hypocritical to lambast women who make the “choice” to disagree with them?

You can view the video clip here.

I Won!

I’m so excited to win a bloggy giveaway!  Terry over at Breathing Grace hosted a giveaway of the book Honey, I Don’t Have a Headache Tonight by Sheila Wray Gregoire.  Sheila is a Christian author and frequent speaker to women’s groups and marriage conferences.  There’s been a lot of blogger buzz about this book, so I am excited to read it.  I’ll let everyone know how I liked it after I’m done! 

I also encourage you to visit Sheila’s blog To Love, Honor, and Vacuum!

Thanks again, Terry, for hosting this giveaway!

Jin is Alive!

I loved that this episode of LOST was a little slower.  We got to see more character development, which is ultimately what makes this show so great. 

The Jack and Kate interaction was sweet, especially since Jack was clean-shaven and sober.  And I LOVED the scene in the jungle where Sawyer saw Kate deliver Claire’s baby.  Can someone get me a Kleenex?  I tell you, that is the most heart-wrenching love triangle in TV-land history.

Ben was his normal evil, conniving, brilliant self.  Man, I just love to hate that guy.  My favorite part was when he told Kate he sent the lawyers.  Jack was like, “Whaaa???”  It will be interesting to see how Ben convinces Sun that Jin is still alive next week.

Speaking of which, can you believe it??? I was TOTALLY shocked when Jin showed up on that raft.  I really thought he was a goner.  What a great reunion it would be for Jin/Sun! 

I did guess that we would see Rousseau when the French people showed up on the raft.  Especially when we saw her as pregnant.  I can’t wait to see how Ben manages to steal Alex away from her mom!

Even though this episode wasn’t quite as exciting, I liked the slower pace.  Who couldn’t fall in love with all these complex characters? 

One more thing…I believe that the scene we saw where the time-travelers found the strange boats on the beach was in the future.  Perhaps these are the boats that the Oceanic Six use to return to the island.  Of course, that doesn’t explain why they would follow and SHOOT at them.  Ahh…so much to think about.

Things I Love Thursday: Calorie King

I recently started a new eating plan, and it involves lots of calorie counting.  I learned about a website called Calorie King.  It is a VERY EXTENSIVE database of every imaginable food and corresponding nutritional value.  It even includes menu items from popular fast food and sit-down restaurants.

I won’t even tell you the heart attack I almost had when I looked up “Outback Cheese Fries.”  Especially when I found out the 2900 calories and 182 grams of fat doesn’t even include the ranch dressing dipping sauce.  Scary.

Anyway, it has been a VERY handy tool for me as I plan meals and write in my food journal.

For more Things I Love Thursday, visit the Diaper Diaries.

Works for Me: Cheap Fun

A few months ago, Happy Hopperz bounce house opened up just a few blocks from our home.  After hearing many rave reviews, Grace and I tried it out.  It was a blast!  Even better, they have a “Toddler Time” where children under five can play without fear of a huge 12-yr-old jumping on them. 

We go most Wednesday mornings, and it only costs about $3.00 for each three-hour playtime.  And, they regularly send Buy-One-Get-One-Free coupons in the mail, so we took our friend Caleb along for free this morning.  The best part?  They are WORN OUT for naptime.  Oh yes.  They actually have a sign posted in their play area that says, “Helping make naptimes better for moms across America…” or something to that effect. 

Anyway, Grace and Caleb had a blast playing together, and I ended up calling my girlfriend and inviting her to bring her two little ones so we would have some company. 

Good times were had by all…..

For more Works-For-Me tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Check-up

Grace had her 4-yr-old check-up today.  Those of you who have had 4-yr-olds and followed the recommended vaccination schedule might remember this particular check-up.  It. was. horrible.  When the unsmiling nurse busted in the room with four huge syringes, I knew we were in for it.  The nurse showed me how to hold Grace down on the table while she trapped Grace’s legs and administered the four shots.  Slowly.  Very, very slowly.

C’mon, lady.  Don’t they teach you to stick ‘em fast and get it over with?  I was not impressed.  I was also annoyed that she ignored my request to forgo the Band-Aids unless Grace was about to hemorrhage.  Because in Grace’s book, the only thing worse than four huge shots is…four huge Band-Aids.

When the nurse left the room, I had to deal with a hysterical Grace begging me to “Take off the Band-Aids!  Please!”  And when I did, there was absolutely no blood.  Grrr.

But, although it was a traumatic check-up, how thankful I am that she is healthy.  Her 32 pounds and 39 inches puts her in the 30th percentile range for weight/height.  I was a bit surprised when the doctor predicted that based on her pattern of growth, her full-grown height would be between 5’3” and 5’4”.  Huh?  I’m 5’9” and Todd is 6’3”.  And, she is petite and small-boned.  If anyone knows Todd and me personally, neither of us could be described in that manner.  I guess you just never know what genes are going to come popping out from one’s family history!

Don’t Make Me Count To Three – Ch. 3

Welcome to the third week of our book study through Ginger Plowman’s Don’t Make Me Count To Three!  I hope everyone had the opportunity to get the book and read through Chapter 3.  If you didn’t, no worries!  Just join along with us anytime.  It’s a quick read and easy to get caught up.

In this chapter, Ginger goes more in-depth about how to draw out issues of the heart.  Her first point was a good one…we need to talk WITH our children, not just TO our children.  This means listening and understanding what they are saying.  My favorite quote from this chapter was on p. 36:

“When you help your child to understand what is in his heart, you are teaching him to evaluate his own motives, which will help to equip him for his walk with Christ as he grows into an adult."

Isn’t that what it’s all about?  Equipping our kids to walk with Christ?  And while we’re helping our kids understand what is in THEIR heart, we also must deal with what is in OUR heart.  I’m going to lay it all on the line…I didn’t realize that I had an anger problem until I had a child of my own.  I find my patience waning thin and my heart welling up with anger at times.  Can’t she be quiet for just ONE MINUTE?  Do I have to help her with everything?  Why can’t she just obey me the first time?  Let’s face it…parenting is hard.  While it brings boundless joy, it also brings to the surface the ugly parts of our own hearts.  I’m constantly working through this with prayer, immersion in God’s Word, and my love for my daughter.  Do I want Grace to see an angry and quick-tempered monster?  Or do I want her to see a kind and forgiving soul?  What kind of parent would God have me to be?  How can I show the love of Christ in my actions towards my child?  Otherwise, why would she ever want to be a Christian?  It’s quite humbling.

For practical use, I love the example Ginger gives about sharing between siblings.  I used her method several times this morning when Grace and the little boy I babysit were arguing about our toys.  Since they are friends, I remembered the verse from Proverbs 17:17 that says “A friend loves at all times.”  The first time there was an issue I spent about five minutes talking with them and asking questions about how we could treat each other with love.  After that, a quick reminder “Are you treating Grace with love?” or “Grace, is that how we treat our friends?” was much more effective.  Until Grace said angrily, “Caleb, you’re not treating me with love!”  That brought up a whole new issue.  Anyway, Ginger’s method helped me this morning, and it definitely helped us focus on the heart issue of WHY we don’t steal toys. 

And that brings me to my last reflection of this chapter.  If we are going to train our children in righteousness, God’s Word must be on the tip of our tongue.  That means we need to spend time in God’s Word!  A good place to start is Proverbs.  There is so much wisdom in this book, especially for mothers!  I learned this habit from my mom, who has a Proverb to answer all questions in life.  There are 31 chapters in Proverbs.  Every day, I read the chapter that corresponds to the date.  For example, today I read Proverbs chapter 2 since it is Feb. 2nd.  Eventually, many of these bits of wisdom will commit themselves to your memory and be useful in your parenting journey.  This habit has greatly helped me, and I needs lots of help!

I hope that many of you will join in and comment on what particularly struck you in this week’s reading.  Even if you didn’t read, feel free to comment below on the topics raised.  Perhaps consider one or more of the following questions:

What are some things you do to draw out matters of the heart in your children?  Why is it important to train our children to think like Christians?  How do you find time as a busy mom to read Scripture?

I look forward to reading your comments!  Next Monday stay tuned for a post on Chapter 4!

Update on Grace

Grace is doing fine now.  Yesterday she started getting back to her normal self again.  Today, she’s eating up a storm and running around.  God is good.  Thanks again to those of you who prayed for her.  Hopefully I’ll hear back from her urologist soon.

Menu Plan Monday

I’ve completed my first week of my new eating plan, and it’s actually been fun.  Especially when I stepped on the scales this morning and saw that I had dropped 3.5 pounds this week. 

I went to the store this weekend and bought fresh meat and produce for the week.  For myself, I bought my favorite fruits and vegetables to supplement my program entree/shakes.  For Todd and Grace, I bought pork chops, chicken breasts, and ground beef.  For their meals, I will cook a portion of meat and serve it alongside my fruits/vegetables.  I also keep a stock of frozen dinner rolls/Texas toast that they enjoy eating. 

Those of you who know me know that I LOVE to cook, so I’ve been trying to get creative with my veggie side dishes.  Today I’ll share my Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup recipe that I made yesterday as a side.  I made up this recipe, and it worked pretty well.  And it’s completely GUILT-FREE.  It doesn’t make a large portion…just enough for 3-4 servings.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes
• 1/2 purple onion
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 cups broth or stock (chicken or veggie)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 t. basil
• Cooking spray (Pam)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray foil with cooking spray.  Cut tomatoes and onions into large chunks and put on sheet; add garlic cloves (unpeeled).  Give another light coating of cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes until veggies are tender and slightly caramelized.  Transfer veggies to soup pot (you will need to squeeze roasted garlic out of peel).  Add tomato sauce, broth, and basil.  Use immersion blender to blend to smooth consistency.  (If you don’t have this handy gadget, just puree in blender or food processor).  Enjoy!